Orange County Parks

The manager of the Orange County parks and recreation department was removed from his job Friday because of poor performance, county officials said.Lynn David Sordel, 45, has served as county parks and recreation manager since 1988 and earns $76,606 annually, records show.Sordel has been reassigned to the human services department. When his contract expires in late February, he will be terminated, said Larry Jones, director of the Health and Human Services Division.Sordel's skills have not kept pace with the rapid growth in the county parks department during the past eight years, Jones said.

Two men survived being shot early Monday and a third victim escaped the gunfire unwounded in an industrial park on Florida Park Road, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. At 12:20 a.m., the three men were sitting in parked red pickup near railroad tracks when shots were fired at them, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Jane Watrel. The two men hit by bullets were listed in critical condition initially and rushed to a local hospital. Information about the shooting is limited.

The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a Summer Solstice Carnival at Bithlo Community Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.Bithlo Community Park is at 18501 Washington Ave. For information, call (407) 568-2991.

On Saturday, Winter Park's Martin Luther King Jr. Park will get some attention from a group of local volunteers. The helpers will be working as part of niceServe, an event coordinated by Summit Church. "Summit Church is one of our largest volunteer groups," said Brendan O'Connor, the Keep Winter Park Beautiful volunteer coordinator. "They've been working with us for years. They have quarterly niceServe events, where they partner with hundreds of organizations around Central Florida to celebrate and engage in a day full of community service.

The Orange County Parks Department has bought 9 acres just north of Fort Christmas Park.The parks department has a five-year plan for developing the land. The property will be fenced. Recreational equipment will be moved to the new area and the current park will be used for historic memorabilia and presentations.

CAMPSITE RESERVATIONS. The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department has established a new campsite reservation policy. The new policy applies to Kelly, Magnolia, Moss and Trimble parks. Previously, all campsites were available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Now, outdoor enthusiasts may reserve a campsite for up to 30 days. To make a reservation campers must go to the park where they want to stay. Making a reservation includes paying the camping fee for a minimum of two nights.

The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department will have a grand opening celebration for Roosevelt Nichols Park from noon to 4 p.m. today.The park is on Hermit Smith Road, a half-mile north of U.S. Highway 441 in Plymouth.Festivities will include free food, games, entertainment, children's activities and a dedication ceremony at 1 p.m.

Bicyclists and joggers may want to note that more than 100 feet of the West Orange Trail in Oakland will be closed for about three days to repair a broken water line. The public will be unable to access the portion of the trail between Star and Tubbs streets while repairs are being made. Orange County parks officials expect it to open by this weekend.

ROY ALVIN BURKHALTER, 76, 248 W. Ward Ave., died Thursday, Feb. 20. Mr. Burkhalter was a retired park ranger for Orange County Parks Division. Born in Athens, Ga., he moved to Eustis in 1934. He was a Baptist. He was a member of the American Legion, the Boy Scouts of America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was recognized for his fossil findings and preservation work at Rock Springs State Park in Apopka. He served in the Navy during World War II. Survivors: daughter, Rita Wong, Eustis; brother, Walter, Orlando; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.

What: Fort Christmas Museum, replica of an 1837 fort built on Christmas Creek by the U.S. Army during the Second Seminole War, re-created by Orange County Parks Department.Where: State Road 420, 2 miles north of State Road 50 in Christmas.When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today, Saturday, Thursday and next Friday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday.What it costs: No admission charge. There are free guided tours on weekdays for groups of 15 or more with advance reservations.Who to call: (407) 568-4149.

On a Sunday morning one year ago, two bicyclists made a grisly discovery along Orange County's Cady Way Trail that won't soon be forgotten. The smoldering bodies of Winter Park high-school students Nicholas Presha, 16, and Jeremy Stewart, 18, on April 15 cast a shadow of fear along the popular biking and jogging trail. With a mandate from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and input from citizens, Parks and Recreation is making safety enhancements to bolster safety along the county's 40 miles of paved trail.

The demonstrators Saturday didn't attract much attention from other people — and for them, that was the whole point. The group of about 20 mothers and their children were participating in a nurse-in, several days after one of the lifeguards at Kelly Park in Apopka told a few of them to cover up as they were breast-feeding their children. The event was put together to remind people of the value of breast-feeding babies and that state and federal laws protect women's rights to nurse publicly, the organizers said.

Kissimmee City Commissioner Carlos Irizarry went to jail for the night Thursday on a felony domestic-violence charge after witnesses told investigators they saw him point a gun at his estranged wife in the parking lot of a Christian school. According to an Orange County Sheriff's Office report, the incident occurred while Irizarry, 54, was attending the graduation of his "future granddaughter" at Living Word Academy on Wetherbee Road south of Orlando. Witnesses told deputies that Irizarry and his wife of 33 years, Delia, got into a heated argument in the parking lot, and he threatened to shoot her if she drove off, the report states.

What other options do Orange County parents have if they need child care Monday through Friday? Officials with the Orange County and Orlando parks departments say their summer programs are filling fast. Registration for the county's summer-camp programs, which cost $80 a week, began three weeks ago, and demand is so high that the county uses a lottery to fill the slots, said Matt Suedmeyer, manager of the Orange County Parks and Recreation Division. "For instance, out at our newest park, South Econ Community Park, we have 140 people registered, but we can only take 70. So we'll have 70 people on the waiting list."

Ocoee will sponsor its second annual Safety Spring Fling from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Ocoee Municipal Complex, behind City Hall, 150 Lakeshore Drive. The event will offer activities aimed at reinforcing safe behavior by young people and families. There will be games, free food, prizes, a puppet show, face painting and appearances by McGruff the Crime Dog and Radio Disney's Fun Squad. The winners of the Safety Poster Contest for students in third through eighth grade will be introduced.

There's one word to describe the hundreds of county workers still putting in 12-hour days clearing trees and debris -- tired. Just ask Larry Parks and Luis Sotoboth with the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department. "We've been working on adrenaline and coffee," said Soto, as he waited in a lunch line with his buddies at Barber Park on Sunday. The county, with a donation from Outback Steakhouse, was serving about 500 hot lunches to its workers. "This is better than what we got the first day," Parks said.

Rec 'N' Roll, a free mobile recreation center for children ages 6 to 14, will be rolling into Barnett Park on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays all summer.The center, filled with games, sports equipment, arts and crafts and more, will be available from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.Barnett Park is at 921 Ferrand Drive, adjacent to the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando. For more information, call 521-3352.The free program is provided by the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department.

Carnival rides, fireworks show, parade and food will be part of Ocoee's 13th annual Founder's Day Festival on Friday and Saturday. The celebration will take place at Starke Lake Municipal Park, 150 N. Lakeshore Drive, from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The free concerts throughout the event will be headlined by country music legend Ronnie Milsap at 8 p.m. Saturday. A fishing tournament, arts and crafts vendors, a classic car show and tours of historical landmarks also are included.

The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor a job fair Wednesday at the Fort Gatlin Recreation Complex for students or others interested in being lifeguards for the summer at county aquatic centers. Those selected will receive a free American Red Cross lifeguard certification course. Applicants should bring their bathing suit, drivers license and Social Security card. Their water skills will be tested, including swimming 500 yards and retrieving a 10-pound object from the bottom of the pool.